Caging device for gyrocompasses having a floating sensitive element



M New A n v A" l A Feb. 10, 1959 A. D. DEROSSI CAGING DEVICE FOR GYROCOMPASSES HAVING A FLOATING SENSITIVE ELEMENT Filed May 17, Y 1954 V INVENTOR. AGUST/A O D/UV/[Zf 0590.567

BY $4M; 9 444421 W M ATTORNEY 5.

United States Patent CAGING DEVICE FOR GYROCOM'PASSESHAVING A FLOATING SENSITIVE ELEMENT Agostino DanieleDerossitTurin, Italy.

Application May 17", 1954, Serial: No.. 430,358

Claims priority, application Italy May 19, I953- Claims. (CI. 74-51) It is well known that if any gyrocompass is considerably out of the correct position of orientation when it is started, it assumes a pendular or damped oscillatory motion around the correct position, which is the reason why it requires a long time, and sometimes hours, before the gyrocompass assumes the exact orientation.

And this causes many inconveniences, one of which, and not the least, is the necessity for arranging for the gyrocompass to start several hours before the setting out of the ship.

The present invention has for an object to avoid said inconvenience, and resolves the relative technical problem by means of a device with which the directionally sensitive gyroscopic element may be centralized, rendering it temporarily mechanically connected with the servo element that contains it, so that the two elements may be caused to turn around together from the outside, up to the point of bringing them while prevented from relative movement to an approximately correct position of orientation.

Thereafter, with the directionally sensitive element in action the release of the two elements from each other is carried into eifect, and the exact orientation is reached through oscillations of limited extent that soon weaken.

The annexed drawings illustrate, by way of examples and schematically, a form of realization of the invention.

Fig. 1 is aschernatic vertical section of the gyrocompass with a caging device, object of this invention, shown in the unlocked position.

Fig. 2 is a similar section, with the caging device in its operative position, that is to say in the locked position.

Fig. 3 illustrates a particular form for the caging control mechanism.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a directionally sensitive spherical gyroscopic compass element 1 is shown immersed in liquid contained within a cooperating hollow spherical servo element 2. The compass and servo ele ments 1 and 2 are of conventional construction and are therefore not shown in detail.

The servo element 2 is mounted for rotation about vertical and horizontal axes in a bifurcated member 3. The bifurcated member 3 comprises an upper hollow vertical shaft portion in which a locking pin 4 is vertically slidably mounted. At its upper end, the locking pin 4 is provided with a control button 5 and is yieldingly urged upwardly by a helical compression spring 6.

T he spherical compass element 1 has a seat or recess 7 formed therein at its upper pole which is adapted to eceive the lower end of the locking pin 4 when the seat 7 is in alignment therewith.

As shown in Fig. 1, the lower end of locking pin 4 is normally spaced away from the compass element 1 so that the spherical compass element 1 is free to rotate in all directions, When the compass element 1 is to be caged, the control button 5 is pressed downwardly with the'compass element properly positioned so that the lower end of locking pin 4 engages the seat 7. The pressure of engagement is sufficient so that the compass element 1 is 2,872,821 Patented. Feb. 10, :9

ice

forced downwardly through the liquid and into engagement with the bottom of the hollow spherical servo element. 2. as shown in Fig. 2-. This prevents relative movement in any direction between the compass and servo elements 1 and 2. The elements 1.v and 2 can then be caused toturn together in any direction with the gyroscopic element. 1 thus. caged.

With the gyroscopic element 1. caged as shown in Fig. 2, the two elements 1 and 2 are brought-together into approximately correct. position so that the required displacement of gyroscopic element 1- will be as small as possible before it gyroscopicall-y assumes its correct position. Locking pin 4 is then allowedv to rise and disengage the seat 7 thereby uncaging the gyroscopic element 1 and gyroscopic element 1 is activated so that it is directionally sensitive and gyroscopically tends to assume its correct position of orientation.

The error that may have been introduced during the manual pro-orientation will determine the maximum semi amplitude of the regulating oscillations of the sensible element.

If the orientation has been made with sutficient precision that time may be only a few minutes.

In Fig. 3, as an example, a specific embodiment of a caging control device is illustrated.

In Fig. 3, the locking pin 4 passes vertically slidably through the body portion 9- of the control device. The compression spring 5 has been rearranged with respect to l and 2 to press upwardly on a verticaily slidable plunger member 19 disposed within the body 5 The upper end of locking pin 4 is threaded in the plunger mean-- her 10. The control button 5 is threaded on the upper end of a hollow cylindrical latching member it which surrounds the plunger member 10, the plunger member 10 and the latching member H being provided with mutually engaging circular shoulder portions which constrain members It) and 11 to move downwardly together in response to downward pressure applied to control button 5. The latching member 11 is formed with an external inwardly sloping annular shoulder 12 which is engageable by a plurality of pivoted latch pawls i3 when the locking pin 4 is depressed to cage the gyroscopic sphere.

A helical compression spring 14 disposed within control button 5 presses downwardly on the top of plunger member ltl against the upward pressure of the locking pin retractile spring 6. Spring 14 may be adjusted to determine and limit the downward pressure of engagement of locking pin 4 with tic; gyroseopic sphere 1.

For releasing the latch pawls 13 at the time that the gyroscopic sphere 1 is activated, an annular electromagnetic winding 15 is disposed in the body 9 and surrounds the latch pawls 13. Advantageously, the latch pawls 13 are formed of magnetizeable material as well as the outer wall portions of the body 9 which surround the annular winding 15 and body portions immediately above and below the winding 15. A magnetic circuit is thus formed which extends through the latch pawls 13 and which is energizeable by the annular winding 15 to retract the latch pawls 13 and release the latching member 11 for uncaging the gyroscopic sphere. Upon energization of winding 15 and withdrawal or" latch pawls 3.3 from shoulder 3.2-, spring 6 urges plunger member 1t upwardly to retract locking pin 4 and uncage the gyroscopic sphere 1.

What is claimed is:

l. in combination with a hollow spherical servo element and a spherical gyroscopie element freely movably immersed in a tiquid contained within said servo element and normally concentrically disposed with respect to said servo element, the provision of caging means for said gyroscopic element, said caging means comprising movable locking pin means passing freely slidably into the interior of said servo element for engagement of an end portion of said pin means with a polar portion of said gyroscopic element; and pressing means for pressing said pin means to engage and displace said gyroscopic element into caging engagement with a portion of the internal surface of said servo element at a zone diametrically opposite said polar portion for movement therewith in all directions of rotation thereof.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said spherical gyroscopic element comprises seating means disposed at a polar portion thereof for engagement with said end portion of said locking pin means.

3. The combination according to claim 1, further comprising retractile spring means yieldingly acting on said locking pin means and normally holding said end portion thereof spaced away from said polar portion of said gyroscopic element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 22,338 Mcndelsohn June 22, 1943 1,704,489 Sperry Mar. 5, 1929 2,098,564 Carter et al Nov. 9, 1937 2,423,270 Summers July 1, 1947 

